Public Statements

The EPA's Backdoor National Energy Tax

Statement

In an attempt by the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a national energy tax by circumventing the legislative process, the EPA (with the backing of the Obama Administration) is pushing emission regulations which will destroy jobs and further impact our already struggling economy.

Knowing full well these regulations will further hamper our nation's already precarious finances; the EPA is stealing a playbook from the White House and moving full speed ahead on a policy that the majority of Americans simply don't want. If these regulations come into effect, new taxes will force jobs overseas and shift higher prices onto the consumer, almost guaranteeing that our 10% unemployment rate will climb higher.

If a national energy tax was in the interest of the American people, wouldn't cap-and-trade have cruised through the Senate and been to the President's desk by now? Instead, cap-and-trade is stalled and may never see the light of day due to its unpopularity and the increased damage it will inflict on our already fragile economy.

I believe the EPA and President Obama need to adhere to the legislative process and not force a jobs-killing tax on businesses throughout our country. Therefore, I signed on to a resolution with my Republican colleagues to put a stop to the EPA's backdoor approach to raise your taxes. Now, more than ever, job growth needs to be encouraged, not stifled by taxes and regulation.